A Friendship
by Silken Threads
Summary: One was trying to find her place. The other had always been running. Neither trusted easily. A story of an unlikely friendship that changed lives.


**A/n: _This is my first story, guys. I hope you like it. And if you do, or even if you don't, please review. So- here goes..._**

**DISCLAIMER: None of the characters you recognize are mine.**

It was one of the most beautiful nights ever seen. The faint chirping of the crickets and the gentle gurgling of the brook broke the tranquil silence that pervaded; a slight breeze was blowing intermittently, causing the leaves of the many trees to rustle against each other. The moon was at its fullest, casting a silvery sheen on all that its light touched, lending an almost fairy-tale-like quality to the scene. The slight, swelling hills of the forest appeared to be capped with silver feathers swaying to the breeze. This was a picture of peace, of tranquility.

This was her most favorite time of the day. Nighttime in the forest. _Her_ forest. A place where she could almost believe her life to be as untouched by misery as anyone's could ever be. She arched her back, taking in the scent. Her dark hair blew gently around her face, falling into her blue eyes. A low, irritated whine sounded from near her. Her lips curved upward in an amused half-smile. She called out, shaking her head.

"Over here, boy!"

The dull thudding of paws echoed, along with an enthusiastic bark of joy. In a few minutes, a silver grey wolf struggled through the bushes and made his way to her. Stopping by her legs, he brushed his face against her waist, and poked at her hand, impatient for her greeting. She smiled in acquiesce, and ran her hand along the smooth fur behind his year, and laughing at the purr of contentment that followed.

"You seem a little too smug, Damien. Good hunting, eh, boy?"

An affirmative bark answered her query.

Chuckling slightly, she settled down on the rock beneath her feet, her legs curled up under her, and looked out once more toward the meadow. Damien considered her for a moment, and then lay down with a sigh at her feet, resting his head on her lap, and waged his tail happily when she rested her hand on his forehead.

"We'll go home in a bit, ok? So don't get too comfortable."

The two sat there together , as they always had, for two years.

She was absently stroking her companion's furry head when he suddenly broke away from her, growling. He was facing away from her, toward the western end of the forest, where the brook met the river, maniacally growling, with hackles raised in alarm. She got to her feet, cautiously looking about her for any sign of danger, wondering what in the world got Damien so agitated.

A scream echoed from the river; a scream of agony so acute that the girl could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"C'mon boy!" she whispered, making her way cautiously toward the river. Damien growled in agitation, but followed suit, speeding up to keep himself slightly ahead of her.

As they neared the river, she put her hand on his back, cautioning him. A weak, keening sound could be heard, from the banks of the river; she followed the sound with her eyes, which came to fest on the figure of a woman, clinging onto a rotting tree trunk that was bent over the water, trying to brace herself against the sweeping power of the river's flow. The girl rushed forward, ignoring Damien's warning bark and came to a skidding halt near the base of the rotting trunk, looking about her for some way to help the lady. Finding no branch in handy, she slowly began to scale the dead tree, reaching out to the woman, while keeping the eyes firmly fixed onto the roots of the trunk; which was already creaking in protest of their weight. She felt the woman grasp wildly at her hand, and tightening her hold, she began to pull her up.

A fatal crack resounded; she felt herself falling, but was abruptly pulled back. Pain rushed up her leg from her ankle, as she felt Damien pulling desperately at her jeans, trying to pull her ashore. She felt about her, and finding a rock jutting out from the riverbed, braced her free hand against it, and pushed the both back onto shore, pulling the woman along with her.

She sat up, coughing and spluttering, trying to catch her breath, with Damien intermittently licking at her face worriedly, and growling at the stranger warningly. She laid a comforting hand on Damien's wet fur, and turned to look at the naked woman properly for the first time.

She doubled back, startled.

The woman lying on the ground looked human, but her skin shone black in the moonlight, with reptile scale-like patterns running across her face and body. Her hair seemed to have an orange tone to it, and the unseeing, half open eyes were a startling gold color.

A wide gash snaked around her left shoulder, and the arm appeared to be broken – it was twisted in an odd angle. She was unconscious, but breathing.

The girl edged away from her uneasily, and looked dolefully at her companion's wet nose.

"We've done it now, buddy", she croaked; "She's a mutant".

**A/n: _REVIEW PLEASE!_**


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